Berks County 1800 Septennial Census Slave Data

The State of Pennsylvania took an enumeration of taxable inhabitants every seven years. Known as the Septennial Census, this enumeration also listed slaves in each county, by township, for some of the years. The amount of information on the slaves varies by county and township. Some Berks County townships list slaveholder names, most list the slaves' names.

Berks County Septennial Census records differ from the usual pattern by listing slaves younger than age 20. Most county enumerators listed only those slaves born before March 1780, they being considered "Slaves for Life." Children of slaves born after that date were to be freed upon their 28th birthday, according to the Gradual Emancipation Act of 1780. These children, although held in bondage for 28 years, were officially called "servants," and often not counted in tax and census listings as slaves. However seven of the sixteen Berks County townships which returned data for slaves did list enslaved children. Fourteen of the fifty-five slaves listed here, or 25.4 percent, are under age twenty.

List of Townships

Extract of Slavery Data

(font face="arial"> "Duplicate of People of Colour held as Slaves in the respective Townships in the County of Berks as Returned by the respective assessors of the respective Townships in Said County."

Albany Township

Slaves
1. Ned Borns, male, age 16

Amity Township

Slaveholders
- Tea, Richard, Esquire
  1. Mathias, male slave, age 24

Bern Township

Slaveholders
- Heister, William, Esquire
  1. Michael, male slave, age not recorded

Cumru Township

Slaveholders
- Huy, John
  1. Mint, female slave, age 60
- Un-named slaveholder
  1. Mary Morris, female slave, age 12
- Un-named slaveholder
  1. Benjamin Close, male slave, age 08

Caernarvon Township

Slaveholders
- Clymer, Daniel, Esquire
  1. Andrew, male slave, age 21
- Hughes, Elizabeth
  1. Strass, female slave, age 22
- Jones, Caleb, Esquire
  1. Punch, male slave, age 50
  2. Dieth, male slave, age 14
  3. Heass, female slave, age 24
- Laverty, Samuel, Esquire
  1. "Name unknown," male slave, age 07

Exeter Township

Slaveholders
- Daugherty, Edward
  1. Jack, male slave, age 20
  2. Ann, female slave, age 35
- Bishop, John
  1. Dam Wockson, male slave, age 26
  2. Lewis Ennis, male slave, age 21

Heidelberg Township

Slaves
1. Sam beau, male, age 70
2. Jack, male, age 11
3. Simon, male, age 01
4. Harry, male, age 21
5. Thomas, male, age 24
6. Abraham, male, age 23
7. Judith, female, age 53
8. Silvie, female, age 27
9. Pol, female, age 21
10. Becky, female, age 55
11. Mary, female, age 11

Longswamp

Slaveholders
- Lesher, Jacob
  1. Thomas, male slave, age not recorded

Maxetawny Township

Slaveholders
- Hempe, George
  1. Hannah, female slave, age 36
- Deisher, Jacob
  1. Anna Maria, female slave, age 60

Oley Township

Slaveholders
- Teysher, John
  1. Mike, male slave, age 25
  2. Bebz, female slave, age 21
  3. Bebz, female slave, age 07
- Focht, George
  1. Bebz, female slave, age 19
  2. Charles, male slave, age 10

Reading (Town)

Slaveholders
- Heister, Joseph, Esquire
  1. Dina, female slave, age 28

Robeson Township

Slaveholders
- Lewis, William
  1. Sam Gardner, male slave, age 23
  2. Diana Divina, female slave, age 18
  3. Thomas Lambert, male slave, age 16

Richmond Township

Slaveholders
- Sell, John
  1. John Esh, male slave, age 26

Tulpehocken Township

Slaveholders
- Ege, George
  1. Timothy, male slave, age 60
  2. Philip, male slave, age 60
  3. James, male slave, age 50
  4. Robert, male slave, age 70
  5. Ben, male slave, age 30
  6. Giff, female slave, age 50
  7. Dina, female slave, age 30

Union Township

Slaveholders
- Kerst, George
  1. Tom, male slave, age 45
- Farmer, Robert
  1. Jo, male slave, age 26, the property of John Pauling
- Parry, Thomas
  1. Doll, female slave, age 45
- Dehaven, Rachel
  1. Henny, female slave, age 22

Hereford Township

Slaves
1. Name not recorded, female slave, age 38
2. Name not recorded, female slave, age 12
3. Name not recorded, female slave, age 09

"The Remaining Townships have none as Returned."

Statistics and Source

Totals: 31 males, 24 females.
Average age of slaves: 28.5 years. Note that this is a relatively low average due to the inclusion of slave children in this enumeration. Many of the Berks County townships included slaves under 20 years old, which was unusual as most townships in most counties excluded those slaves because their status was considered to be that of an indentured servant rather than a slave.
Oldest slaves enumerated: Sam beau, a male slave in Heidelberg Township, and Robert, a male slave held by George Ege in Tulpehocken Township. Both were returned as 70 years of age. If their ages were reported correctly, they would have been born in 1730.
Youngest slave enumerated: Simon, a male child in Heidelberg Township, who was one year old.
Source: Septennial Census Returns, 1779-1863; Roll No. 1, Adams County, 1800-Cumberland County, 1800. Reel No. 0242. Microfilm in the Pennsylvania State Archives, Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

Original content on these pages copyright 2023 Afrolumens Project.
This page was updated May 17, 2023.

Slavery In Pennsylvania • Berks County

Slave Data in 1800 Septennial Census